On June 23, Up2Us Sports partnered with Christine St. Pierre and Natasha Cruz to present on the development of an SBYD Training Session aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy eating. The goal of the session is to share creative ways for how sports coaches and youth programs can encourage healthy lifestyles! This session will also provide insight and lessons learned from the COACHES Project, a collaborative research study between Up2Us Sports and George Washington University.

Christie St. Pierre is a PhD candidate in the Exercise Physiology and Applied Nutrition doctoral program at George Washington University, where her research will unite her agricultural policy experience and practice as a registered dietitian as she investigates policy and program approaches to building and sustaining food systems that allow all communities to establish food sovereignty. As a registered dietitian, Christie worked for a large public school system in the Washington, DC area, where she led the development of the district’s Farm to School program and provided training for teachers and parents in the early childhood program on feeding best practices for children age 0-5.

Natasha Cruz attained her B.S. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Miami and an MPH in Physical Activity in Public Health from the George Washington University in May of 2021. Natasha is a former Graduate Assistant with the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, where she uses her passion for exercise science and physical activity promotion to train and inspire future generations. Her desire to promote health and wellness stemmed from community projects, such as the Translational Health in Nutrition and Kinesiology, or THINK program, where Natasha helped to promote physical activity among underserved youth in Miami, FL.

Dr. Dawn Brown shares with everyone ways to prioritize emotional wellness and reconnect with our why.

Dr. Dawn Brown is a nationally acclaimed Child, Adolescent, Adult, and Sports Psychiatrist. Dr. Brown is a two-time best-selling author, Forbes writer, blogger, podcaster, producer, keynote speaker, and media influencer. Much of her work has focused on the intersection of sports and mental health, particularly related to elite athletes. Dr. Brown completed a Doctorate of Medicine and an Adult Psychiatry Residency at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Dr. RJ Gibbs joins us from the Michigan State University Extension in the Health and Nutrition Institute to share his work on nutrition interventions to improve the health and wellness of young athletes.

Dr. Kim Flores of Hello Insight explores the importance of developing social and emotional learning skills in youth, as well as the history and research on the topic and the nuances of measuring social and emotional learning for youth. 

Dr. Natalie Smith joins us from East Tennessee State University to discuss the topic of creativity and innovation in coaching, including how to engage in creativity, create an innovative work environment, and generate ideas for your specific context.

Dr. Talin Babikian and the UCLA BrainSPORT team joins us to share their research and experience on  sports-related concussions and brain health as it relates to the youth sports community.

Student’s Run Philly Style share’s their experience navigating COVID-19 as a SBYD organization. The discussion focuses on how to develop volunteer management practices and messaging to reflect and reinforce your organizations standards to recruit and retain volunteers for long term impact.

Milt Wright from Milt Wright & Associates joins us to facilitate a training on disability inclusion as it relates to youth sports.

Dr. Terrinieka Powell joins the Lunch and Learn series to share her knowledge and experience on using community-engaged approaches in program development and implementation.

Jonas Worth from the You Can Play Project joins the Lunch and Learn series to facilitate a session on the importance of centering LGBTQ+ inclusivity in youth sports teams and organizations.

Jenna Weiner and Jen Pashley from the Bay Area Disc Association discuss the importance of transgender and non-binary inclusion in sports. The conversation focuses on how to be a better ally in the realm of sports policy and implementation as it relates to trans and non-binary youth.

Dr. Danielle Thomas shares her knowledge on how to build bridges our communities using the power of sports. In this Lunch and Learn, Dr. Thomas shares her experience using concepts of assets-based learning and healing centered engagement in sports.

Dr. Amanda Visek from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University explores the importance of having fun in youth sports and how children and adolescents define “fun.” In this Lunch and Learn, Dr. Visek shares her work on an evidence-based framework, FUN MAPS, to promote and maximize having fun in youth sports to promote active and healthy lifestyles.

Dr. Jennifer Sacheck from the  Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University joins the Lunch and Learn series on the current methods and results of increasing physical activity among youth in schools. 

Coach Macky Bergman, founder of Steady Buckets, an inclusive, high-quality basketball program that is free for boys and girls aged 4-18, facilitates a Lunch and Learn session on virtual coaching.

Dr. Sheila Walker joins us from the John Hopkins School of Education to foster a discussion on the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the long-term effects of trauma on the brain.